Business: Scout's House treats injured, disabled animals Business: Scout's House treats injured, disabled animals (June 22, 2005)

By Katie Bearman

Special to the Almanac

Those who happen to glance into the front window of Scout's House in Menlo Park may be surprised to see dogs walking on treadmills and cats bouncing on trampolines.

Scout's House, which opened in May at 506 Santa Cruz Ave., near Merrill Street and the train station, is the Peninsula's first physical rehabilitation center for companion animals, according to Lisa Stahr of Menlo Park, co-founder of the facility.

Certified veterinarians and a physical therapist work at the 800-square-foot facility to treat animals with serious injuries or chronic physical disabilities. These animals are the most common clients at Scout's House, but healthy animals can also come in to improve their agility, strengthen their muscles and joints, and lose weight.

"We love pets like family, and want them to have a life free of pain," Ms. Stahr says.

She owns Scout's House along with two veterinarians, Janet C. Lowery and Janet L. Dunn, plus two veterinary technicians, Carol Schumacher and Holly Bourne.

The facility replaced The Train Station, a canine obedience school that Ms. Stahr used for her late dog, Scout.

Ms. Lowery and Ms. Dunn work both at Scout's House and at the Mid-Peninsula Animal Hospital, which is just around the corner. Due to its proximity to the hospital, Scout's House has a veterinarian on site or in range at all times -- a state requirement for facilities of its kind, Ms. Stahr says.

Ms. Stahr, who has lived in Menlo Park since 1999 with her husband, dogs and cats, dreamt up the idea for Scout's House after taking hours out of her days to drive Scout to animal-rehabilitation facilities in San Jose and Oakland. As a puppy, Scout suffered from distemper and she could barely walk three feet without falling over, Ms. Stahr says.

During the three years in which she carted Scout to distant physical- rehabilitation programs, Scout's condition improved such that she could walk and move almost like a normal dog, Ms. Stahr says.

Once a copy writer for high-technology companies, Ms. Stahr was inspired by her experiences with Scout to make a complete career change. She now works full-time at Scout's House.

"I so believed in what this was doing that I thought there should be some place on the Peninsula like it," Ms. Stahr explains.

She began planning Scout's House in 2002, intending to use the facility to continue treating Scout as well as open it to other animals. Unfortunately, Scout died of kidney failure in June 2004.

"Scout's House is her legacy," Ms. Stahr says.

Besides Ms. Stahr, Ms. Lowery and Ms. Dunn, staff members at Scout's House include Krista Johnson, a physical therapist; Sandy Gregory, an exercise physiologist who has trained canine athletes and rehabilitated gorillas and dolphins; and Cindy Daniels, who performs canine massage therapy and gait assessment.

Scout's House employees develop a custom-made treatment plan for every animal that comes to the facility and monitor all animals' progress, according to Ms. Stahr.

"Everything we do, we do at the pace of each animal," she explains. "I marvel at the staff's creativity."

In a one- to four-hour rehab session at Scout's House, which costs $100, animals can undergo acupuncture, veterinary orthopedic manipulation and low-level laser therapy, Ms. Stahr says.

Staff members also stand on trampolines with some animals and bounce them side-to-side to improve the animals' balance, or guide them through obstacle courses to expand their range of motion.

A hallmark piece of equipment at Scout's House is the hydrotreadmill, which consists of a water tank with a moving belt at its base. Staff members stand in the water with the animals to ensure their safety and prevent them from cheating -- smart dogs will stand on the sides of the treadmill so they don't have to exercise, Ms. Stahr says.

Animals new to the trade walk on the treadmill for about three minutes, and some dogs can work up to 10 minutes.

While some animals seem to enjoy these treatments, others become agitated.

"Some dogs are cranky when they're in pain," Ms. Stahr explains. "They can't tell us how it feels, so you have to be really good at reading animals to do this job."

Whether or not they are fond of the physical manipulation, rehabilitation has improved many animals' health and is an emerging field in veterinary medicine, according to Ms. Stahr.

"Veterinarians are realizing it's a really good complement to their practices," she says. "What's driving it is people like me who have pets with problems and are looking for solutions."

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